Portable parcel carriers



Jan. 15, 1957 D. D. PATTERSON 2,777,708

PORTABLE PARCEL CARRIERS 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR PATTERSON Filed Feb. 24, 195

d3 DAVID D.

Jan. 15, D. D PATTERSON PORTABLE PARCEL CARRIERS Filed Feb. 24, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 4. Y 5, a

INVENTOR. DAVID D. PATTERSON PORTABLE PARCEL CARRIERS David D. Patterson, Seward, Nebr.

Application February 24, 1954, Serial No. 412,192

6 Claims. (Cl. 280-37) This invention relates in general to certain new and useful improvements in portable parcel carriers.

At the present time, with the rapid growth of large supermarkets and shopping centers and the widespread trend toward increased storage facilities in the home, it has become the general practice of housewives to shop less frequently and to purchase larger quantities of household requirements at each shopping trip. In fact, the average American housewife no longer makes a daily trip to the corner grocery store to purchase a small quantity of food and other household materials. The large shopping centers, however, are not as conveniently accessible to all portions of the areas which they serve and it is frequently necessary for the shopper to drive to the shopping center in her automobile or travel in public transportation. Even when driving in her own automobile, the housewife frequently has to park at quite a distance from the market or store in which she intends to do her shopping. Consequently, it has become increasingly dificult to carry several large cumbersome sacks of groceries and other household products from the store to her parked automobile or to her home in case it is necessary to use the streetcar or bus.

It is, therefore, the primary object of the present invention to provide a portable parcel carrier which can be folded up quickly and conveniently into extremely compact size so that it may be readily carried in the hand or under the arm when not in use and which can be very quickly and simply unfolded to provide a spacious, rugged-wheeled carrier into which parcels of various size, shape and weight can be placed for transportation from the store to the home.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a portable carrier of the type stated which can be unfolded and set up with a few simple movements and will automatically form a self-bracing receptacle which, when in opened or receptacle-forming position, is extremely rigid and strong.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a portable carrier of the type stated which is simple and economical in construction and can be manufactured at relatively low cost.

With the above and other objects in View, my invention resides in the novel features of form, construction, arrangement, and combination of parts presently described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings (two sheets)- Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a portable parcel carrier constructed in accordance with and embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the portable parcel carrier;

Figure 3 is an end elevational view of the portable parcel carrier in folded-up or collapsed position;

4-4 of Figure 1;

2 Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 5-5 of Figure 4;

Figures 6, 7, 8,, and 9 are fragmentary sectional views Figure 11 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 11-11 of Figure 2;

Figure 12 is an enlarged perspective view of the hinge plate forming a component part of the present invention;

Figure 13 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 13-13 of Figure 11;

Figures 14 and 15 are fragmentary sectional views taken along lines 14-14 and 15-15, respectively, of

Figure 1;

Figure 16 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 16-16 of Figure 2;

Figure 17 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a modified form of portable luggage carrier embodying the present invention; and

Figure 18 is a fragmentary perspective view of a modified form of hinge plate forming a part of the present invention.

Referring now in more detail and by reference characters to the drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the present invention, A designates a portable luggage carrier comprising an open-topped rectilinear canvas sack 1 integrally including rectangular side walls 2, 3, end walls 4, 5, and a bottom wall 6. Hingedly secured within the canvas sack or shell 1 along the lines of juncture between the bottom wall 6 and the side walls 4, 5, respectively, by means of canvas loops 7, are U-shaped frame members 8, d, formed of heavy wire or rod-stock and being bent over at their upper endsrat right angles in the provision of short inwardly extending swivel forming elements 10 which are rotatably inserted through apertures 11 formed in a hinge plate 12 and are retentively secured therein by being upset at their extremities. The leg portions of the U-shaped frame members 8, 9, are secured respectively to the side walls 2, 3, by open-ended canvas tubes 13.

Similarly hinged to the upper margins of the side walls 4, 5, by means of a tubular canvas binding tape or strip 14 are downwardly inclined U-shaped frame members 15, 16, the lowerends of which are turned in in the provision of swivel elements 17 rotatably inserted through apertures 18 formed in the hinge plate 12. By reference to Figure 2, it will be noted that the lower frame members 8, 9, are hingedly mounted in the outwardly turned faces of the hinge plate and the swivel-forming elements 17 extend through from the opposite side of the hinge plate 12 so that when the frame members are in upright position, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the swivel-forming elements17 will form stop abutments for the frame members 8, 9. Similarly, the upper margins of the hinge plate 12 are integrally provided with inwardly turned flanges 19, the short lateral edges of which are formed with outwardly presented semi-circular notches 29 for stop-forming and retentive engagement with the frame members '15, 16. Finally, the side walls 2, 3, of the canvas sack or shell 1 are split centrally from the upper margin downwardly to points adjacent the hinge plate 12 and are adapted to be releasably secured together by hook fasteners 21, releasably engaged-in companion eyelets 22, all as best seen in Figure 10 and for purposes presently more fully appearing.

Adjacent the outer upper corners of the canvas sack or shell 1, the tubular binding strips 14 are cut away, as at 23, to expose the bight portion of the frame mernbers15, 16, for hingedlyreceiving the lower ends of ;v

Patented Jan. 115, 1957,.

" upright of operative position.

U-sliaped handle-forming members 24, 25, which can be swung outwardly away from, each other andinto close compact relation with the rest of the frame when. the portable carrier A is in collapsed position, as shown iif'Figure 3; or can be swu'n'g upwardly intohandle-forming co-operative position, as shown in Figure 1', when the'port'a'ble carrier A is inoperative or'ca'rrier-formin'g position. Similarly hinged to the b'ight portion of the 28 and in this area bights of the frame members 8 are hing'edl'y provided withpwheel-mounting plates 29,

biased b'y means of coil springs 30, so as to swing normally in the direction shown by the arrow in Figure" 6.

At their outer extremities, the plates 29 are provided with short stub shafts 31 for operatively supporting rubber tired wheels 32. The two plates 29 are transversely con- 1 nected by aflexible canvas strap 33 and thus when'the frame members 8, 9, are folded up into upright or car, rier forming position so that the bight members thereof -move outwardly away from each other and the bottom wall 6 is stretched to its largest dimension, the hinge plate 12will be forced to swingoutwardly away from collapsed position against the side walls 4, 5, into upright position as shown in Figure 1 and will be, in this position, heldagainst stop pins 34 set into the bi ghts of the frame members 8, 9. 'In this position, the wheels V are securely held in upright position and will not collapse under a load. Contrariwise, when the portable carrier A is folded up into collapsed position, the bight portions of theframe members 8, 9, will swing inwardly toward each other and the tension onQthe strap 33 willbe re leased, permitting the plate 29 and the wheel-32 carriedthereby to'swing upwardly and outwardly into the collapsed position shown in Figure 3. In this'position, the

wheels will, in effect, ride into the clearanceprovidedby the recesses 28,- so as to provide a compact structure.

When the portable'carrier A is being folded up or V gcollap'sed, that is to say folded from the position shown in p Figure 1 to the collapsed position shown in Figure 3, the hooks'21 are disengaged from the eyelets 22, thus permitting the frame members 15, 16,'to swing outwardly and downwardly and the frame members-8, 9, to swing inwardly so that the entire structure can be folded into the position shown in Figure 3. The canvas sack or shell 1, being entirely flexible and collapsible, will fall into a series of folds within the framework so that the entire structure will be, in effect, still encased in canvas and very few metal or hard parts will'be exposed totear the clothing or cause any other type of inconvenience; In this collapsed position, the structure, is extremely compact, light in weight and .can be easily carried under the arm or, for that matter, placed within a large sized pocketbook or handbag, if desired. Thus, the housewife may readily travel to the shopping center, either in her own ca'ror on some public conveyance with the portable carrier Arfolded up into very compact, easily carried position. Upon arriving at the market or store, the housewife may readily swing the frame members 15, 16, upwardly into the position shown in Figure 1. This movement will automatically cause the other frame mem-' bers to swing outwardly into proper position and-the entire structure may be rigidly secured in upright carrierformingposition simply by pulling tension into theside walls 2, 3, and securing the hooks into the eyelets 21. The tension thus placed on'th'e" side walls willpull the entire frame into tight, rigid, uprightposition to'for'm" a secure" carrier of relatively large dimension is strong a'rid'ri'gid. T ns-movement of folding the carrier A into upright position will automatically cause the wheel 32 to' swing down into operative position. It should be understood in this connection thatbuttons, snap fasteners,

or even slide fasteners may be substituted for the hooks V 21.and companion eyelets 22. v

If desired, a modified form of portable carrier may 'be provided as shown in Figure 17, having a frame member 9' for pivotally supporting a plate 29' and wheel 32' substantially as previously described. The frame memher 9 however, is'bent downwardly in the provision of a V-shaped stop-element. 35 which bears against one face" of the plate 29' and the latter is, furthermore, rigidly provided'with a stand 36 so that the carrier'A' will rest in upright position when necessary. 1 j

If desired a modified form of hinge plate 12 may be provided, as shown in Figure 18, and comprises an elongated U-shaped element integrally including abight portion 34 and two-spaced parallel side plates 35, 36. The V bight portion '3 4 is provided in its transverse margins with semi-circular recesses ornotches 37. v Rockably mounted'at'their ends in the plate 35 in a straight line, so to speak, are frame members 819, 15" and 16', respectively, corresponding to the previously discussed framemembers 8, 9, 15 and 16 and having substan-' tially the same functions except that they do not criss cross when in open position. 7

It should be understood that changes and modifications in the form, construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts of the portable parcel carrier may be made and substituted for those herein shown and de scribed'without-departing from the nature and principle a ofmy invention;

Having-thus describedamy invention, what I claim and desire to' secure by Letters'Patent is:

l. A portable parcel carrier comprising a collapsible wire framework adaptedto fold from a fiat collapsedposition' to open position, in which latter position the framework defines a rectilinear structure, said framework including two spaced parallel frame-members which de-' fine opposite margins of the bottom of the carrier when the framework is in open position, said members being adapted to swing toward each other when the framework is folded into collapsed position, a swingable element operatively mounted on each of said frame-members for:

rotation about said frame-member as an axis, a collapsible fabric shelloperatively mounted on the framework for forming an open-topped rectilinear receptacle when the V framework is in open position, ground-engaging wheels operatively mounted on each of said swingable elements 1 and being positioned for projecting downwardly below the bottom of the shell when the latter is in open re-- ceptacle-forming position, spring means associated with each of the swingabl'e elements for biasing said elements upwardly into nested position substantially within the frameworkwhen the latter is in collapsed inoperative position, and a flexible strap connected at its opposite ends to the' swingable elements and extending outwardly therefromand thence downwardly under the bottom of the framework and thereby swinging said wheels intoupright, operative position as the framework is unfolded to openposition. V

2; A portable parcel'carrier comprising acollapsible wire framework adapted to fold from a flaticollapsedposition to open position, in which latter position the framework defines a rectilinear structure, said framework 1 including two spaced parallel frame-members which de fine opposite margins of the bottom of the carrier whenv the framework-is in opeuposition, said members being" adapted to swing toward each other when the framework isffolded into collapsed position, a swinga'olefelement operatively mounted on each of said frame-members for rotation about said frame-member as an axis, a collapsible fabric shell op'e ratively'moilnted on the framework for forming an open topped' rectilinear receptacle when the framework is in open position, ground-engaging wheels operatively mounted on each of said swingable elements and being positioned for projecting downwardly below the bottom of the shell when the latter is in open receptacle-forming position, spring means associated with each of the swingable elements for biasing said elements upwardly into nested position substantially within the framework when the latter is in collapsed inoperative position, and a flexible strap connected at its opposite ends to the swingable elements and extending outwardly therefrom and thence downwardly under the bottom of the framework and thereby swinging said wheels into upright, operative position as the framework is unfolded to open position, and handle-forming means associated with the framework for extending upwardly therefrom when the framework is in open position.

3. A portable parcel carrier comprisinga collapsible wire framework adapted to fold from a flat collapsed position to open position, in which latter position the framework defines a rectilinear structure, said framework comprising two hinge-members each consisting of a flat plate, a flange forming a unitary part of the plate and projecting outwardly therefrom, each of said flanges being provided with oppositely facing abutments, four U- shaped frame-members each consisting of two parallel legs connected by a night, one leg of each frame-member being pivotally secured at its ends in one of said plates, the other leg of each frame-member being likewise pivotally secured in the other plate, the legs of at least two of said frame-members furthermore being adaptedto abut respectively against said abutments when the framework is in open position a collapsible fabric shell operatively mounted on the framework and having a plurality of walls for forming an open-topped rectilinear receptacle when the framework is in open position, fastener means for optionally holding said collapsible shell in receptacleforming position in such a manner that the walls of the shell are tensioned around the open framework and in turn hold the framework in such open position with the abutment-engaging legs in tight engagement against the abutments, and ground-engaging wheels operatively mounted on the framework and being positioned for projecting downwardly below the bottom of the shell when the latter is in open receptacle-forming position.

4. A portable parcel carrier comprising a collapsible wire framework adapted to fold from a flat collapsed position to open position, in which latter position the framework defines a rectilinear structure, said framework comprising two hinge-members each consisting of a flat plate, a flange forming a unitary part of the plate and projecting outwardly therefrom, each of said flanges being provided with oppositely facing abutments, four U- shaped frame-members each consisting of two parallel legs connected by a bight, one leg of each frame-member being pivotally secured at its ends in one of said plates, the other leg of each frame-member being likewise pivotally secured in the other plate, the legs of at least two of said frame-members furthermore being adapted to abut respectively against said abutments when the framework is in open position the pivot-points in each plate being arranged in a straight line, a collapsible fabric shell operatively mounted on the framework and having a plurality of walls for forming an open-topped rectilinear receptacle when the framework is in open position, fastener means for optionally holding said collapsible shell in receptacle-forming position in such a manner that the walls of the shell are tensioned around the open framework and in turn hold the framework in such open position with the abutment-engaging legs in tight engagement against the abutments, and ground-engaging wheels operatively mounted on the framework and being positioned for projecting downwardly below the bottom of the shell when the latter is in open receptacle-forming position.

5. A portable parcel carrier comprising a collapsible wire framework adapted to fold from a flat collapsed position to open position, in which latter position the framework defines a rectilinear structure, said framework comprising two hinge-members each consisting of a flat plate, a flange forming a unitary part of the plate and projecting outwardly therefrom, each of said flanges being provided with oppositely facing abutments, four U-shaped frame-members each consisting of two parallel legs connected by a bight, one leg of each frame-member being "ivotally secured at its ends in one of said plates, the other leg of each frame-member being likewise pivotally secured in the other plate, the legs of at least two of the frame-members being adapted to abut respectively against said abutments when the framework is in open position the pivot-points in each plate being arranged so that when the framework is in open position the legs of one frame-member will crisscross the legs of another frame-member, a collapsible fabric shell operatively mounted on the framework and having a plurality of walls for forming an open-topped rectilinear receptacle whenthe framework is in open position, fastener means for optionally holding said collapsibleshell in receptacle-forming position in such a manner that the walls of the shell are tensioned around the framework and in turn hold the framework in such open position with the abutmentengaging legs in tight engagement with the abutments, and ground-engaging wheels operatively mounted on the framework and being positioned for projecting downwardly below the bottom of the shell when the latter is in open receptacle-forming position.

6. A portable parcel carrier comprising a collapsible wire framework adapted to fold from a flat collapsed position to open position, in which latter position the framework defines a rectilinear structure, said framework comprising two hinge-members each consisting of a flat plate, a flange forming a unitary'part of the'plate and projecting outwardly therefrom, each of said flanges being provided with oppositely facing abutments, four U-shaped frame-members each consisting of two parallel legs connected by a bight, one leg of each frame-member being pivotally secured at its ends in one of said plates, the other leg of each frame-member being likewise pivotally secured in the other plate, the legs of at least two of the frame-members being adapted to abut respectively against said abutments when the framework is in open position, said flanges being provided in their outwardly presented transverse margins with detent notches each for engaging a leg, a collapsible fabric shell operatively mounted on the framework and having a plurality of walls for forming an open-topped rectilinear receptacle when the framework is in open position, fastener means for optionally holding said collapsible shell in receptacleforming position in such a manner that the walls of the shell are tensioned around the framework and in turn hold the framework in said open position with the abutment-engaging legs in tight engagement with the abutments, and ground-engaging wheels operatively mounted on the framework and being positioned for projecting downwardly below the bottom of the shell when the latter is in open receptacle-forming position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,060,697 Newerf May 6, 1913 1,074,349 Brown Sept. 30, 1913 1,111,927 Stani-on Sept. 29, 1914 1,222,179 Brown Apr. 10, 1917 1,275,521 Bowes et a1 Aug. 13, 1918 1,276,322 Bullock Aug. 20, 1918 1,428,000 Bens Sept. 5, 1922 1,554,034 Richie Sept. 15, 1925 2,313,884 Mattoon Mar. 16, 1943 2,476,531 Berg July 9, 1949 2,571,442 Griffith Oct. 16, 1951 

